FBI Warns ‘Pop-Up Scams’ Offering Tech Support Can Target Anyone in San Diego

A 63-year-old Poway man recently dodged being fleeced out of tens of thousands of dollars, one of more than 77,000 Californians targeted by internet fraud in 2023 according to the latest data from the FBI.

In this particular case, the victim was ensnared in what’s commonly called “a pop-up” scheme, part of a multinational fraud conspiracy. A money courier for an organized crime operation appeared at the Poway man’s home. But Jiaci Liu, 34, of Monterey Park had no idea his prospective victim had already figured out he was being played for a sucker

Liu, the courier, had expected to come to the victim’s home to pick up $28,000 in cash. His plan was foiled when Liu’s fellow conspirators advised the would-be victim that the U.S. Marshals Service would come to pick up the money.

The Poway man, in turn, alerted the San Diego Sheriff’s Department, which gave the FBI a heads-up. According to the Department of Justice complaint, Lui was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He pleaded not guilty last week and his next appearance in court will be July 12.

Since the start of this year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI, with local assistance, have been using a “data-driven approach” to help target schemes like the one Liu is accused of. Since January, they’ve recovered $3.3 million of the $5.6 million they are actively pursuing.

Research done on cyber-related fraud reveals most scammers are overseas but they hire cash runners, couriers, and money launderers based in country. There is a network of these couriers across the United States and according to law enforcement sources, they are sometimes recruited on Telegram, an instant messaging service.

In the Poway case, a pop-up window appeared on the Poway victim’s computer, warning of a possible virus and telling him to contact a phone number. Once that was done, they had him locked in.

According to the grand jury indictment naming Liu and others who have not been identified, the victim was “transferred through a series of co-conspirators pretending to work in tech support. The victim was informed that his computer had viruses.”

The last conspirator in the chain claimed to be from the victim’s bank.

“The victim was told there were unauthorized transfers from his bank,” the indictment said, “The victim was instructed to go immediately to his bank and to withdraw all his money for safekeeping.”

In June of last year, when Liu arrived at the victim’s home, the victim stalled him while he alerted law enforcement. Liu was arrested and later a search of his cellphone revealed “evidence indicating that in just one week in June 2023, Liu had picked up over $348,000 from other victims,” the federal indictment stated. He faces thirty years in prison and a $1 million fine.

“Everyone with a computer is vulnerable to sophisticated scams like the one alleged in this case,” said San Diego U.S.Attorney Tara McGrath. She advises if you are suspicious of potential fraud, report it quickly. “The faster the report comes in, the more likely we are to catch the scammers and recover any swindled money,” she said.

Educating consumers is crucial to curtailing such scams, says FBI San Diego Acting Special Agent in Charge Jamie Arnold.

“Our best defense is educating the public about how to avoid becoming a victim of these schemes, and encouraging those that fall victim to a scam to immediately report it to law enforcement,” he said in a statement.

According to the FBIs annual cyber crime report, California is the hardest hit of all states, the number of victims more than double the number reported in Texas, which was second in the country. The most widely reported crime targeting seniors is tech support scams, just like the one that almost stole $28,000 from a Poway man.